Thursday, 17 September 2009

In 1991, two sisters were preparing for school when someone broke into their home and raped them both. The girls believed that the intruder was a man who lived 2 doors down, and then picked Joseph out of a photo lineup. Abbitt was convicted in 1995 even though he had been working at the time of the attack.

In late 2008, with the help of the innocence center, Abbitt was granted DNA testing on remaining evidence. After two rounds of testing, Abbitt was excluded.

The next step for Abbitt now that he has been freed is compensation. He is eligible for $700,000 ($50,000 for every year incarcerated).